Our Peer Health Educator Team

The Peers are a diverse group of UW-Stout students who are unified by their mutual interest in promoting inclusive and healthier lifestyles on campus. Each student brings a unique perspective, diverse skill set, and special area of interest to our team.

2012-2013 TEAM

2013-2014 TEAM

Justin Foss

Major: Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism ManagementMinor: Business

School Year: Graduated - December 2015

Hometown: Cameron, WI

Number of years being a Peer: 3 and half years

Why You're Excited To Be A Peer: "I love working with students and my goal is to promote, not preach, a healthier lifestyle for everyone at Stout. No one is perfect, including myself. Everything can be enjoyed in moderation, and being safe doesn't mean you can't also have fun!"

Hobbies: Playing volleyball, singing in the shower, watching movies, and going on hikes

Favorite Place Traveled To: Seattle

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "Party In the USA by Miley Cyrus. No questions asked."

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "Potatoes because they're the love of my life. French fries, hash browns, mashed potatoes. I ain't got no type <3"

Heidi Lochen

Major: Dietetics (Undergrad), First year graduate student in Human Nutrition

Minor: Spanish and Human Physiology

School Year: Senior - undergrad, first year graduate student

Hometown: Kimball, MN

Number of years being a Peer: 2 years

Why You're Excited To Be A Peer: "I love working with students and my goal is to promote, not preach, a healthier lifestyle for everyone at Stout. No one is perfect, including myself. Everything can be enjoyed in moderation, and being safe doesn't mean you can't also have fun!"

What kind of impact do you want to have as being a Peer Health Educator to Stout students? "I really want to educate students on new things and take sex education to the next level. Not only focusing on basic contraceptives and condoms but explore sexual orientation and gender identity and now those play a role in sex. I want to make people aware that there is so much more to sex education than condoms and birth control! I also want to do more with consent and breaking down stereotypes!"

Describe what your "perfect" day looks like for you: "I am in Southern Australia, sitting on my deck, overlooking the ocean, and sipping a cup of coffee. I would spend that whole day on the beach with loved ones, friends, and lots of dogs, surfing, grilling, paddle boarding, and scuba diving."

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "You can't lose with a good Shania Twain or 'Nsync tune. Although, I have been known to rock a Will Smith jam."

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "I know this is really nerdy, but education. I would love to be able to get another degree and get my doctorate!"

Hannah Johnson

Major: Dietetics

School Year: Senior

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN

Number of years being a Peer: 2 Years

Why are you excited to be a Peer? "We have a great team this year of old and new Peers and I am excited to see what fresh minds will bring to the table!"

What kind of impact do you want to have as being a Peer Health Educator to Stout students? "I want to show students for you overall health and well-being, it is important to step outside of your comfort zone in college, Becoming a peer has taught me so much about health education, but ore importantly, has given me more confidence to further my passion in the public health field, something I knew so little about!"

Describe what your "perfect" day looks like for you: "Wake up for an early morning run with a group of friends in a foreign country. We would enjoy a home-cooked breakfast with many cups of coffee. The rest of the day we would explore the country, send time by the water and maybe do some baking. Around dinner time, we would have a large picnic with a bonfire accompanied by some music. Lastly, to the end the night, we woul watch an episode of friends."

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "Anything by T-Swift, because she is awesome and I've been told we look alike"

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "A nice camera that I can take with when I travel the world!"

Hilde Bakken

Major: Graphic DesignSchool Year: Junior

Hometown: Lakeville, MN

Number of years being a Peer: 1 year

Why are you excited to be a Peer? "I want to teach people to be aware of their health and wellness when it comes to every aspect of health. I want to influence all levels of students, but for freshman, they are starting to make their own choices and I would like to be a positive influence on them to make the right choices."

Describe your perfect day: "My perfect day would be wake up early with a cup of coffee listening to John Denver and watching the sunrise over the ocean. After, I would make breakfast with friends. After that, we would go hiking, climbing waterfalls, explore the shops, and maybe get some food. At the end of the night, we would try something new for dinner and end the night with a bonfire on the beach."

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be and why? "Any Beatles song because I know all of the words and who wouldn't want to sing along to The Beatles?!"

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be? "A ticket to New Zealand! I want to live there!"

Kaylee Jacobs

Major: Dietetics

Minor: Human Physiology

School Year: Senior

Hometown: Glenwood, MN

Number of years being a Peer: 1 year

Why You're Excited To Be A Peer: "I'm very passionate about the health field. I find all areas of health to be interesting. I'm excited to keep working with the other Peer Health Educators to develop fun and informational programs. I am also excited to educate students on topics such as: nutrition, exercise, sexual health, and mental health.

What kind of impact do you want to have as being a Peer Health Educator to Stout students? "I want students to be aware of Student Health Services and all that they offer. I want Stout students to realize healthy eating and living an active lifetyle is fun. I hope to leave a positive impact on Stout students so they can make informed decisions when it comes to their health!"

Describe what your "perfect" day looks like for you: "My perfect day would be waking up in Hawaii or anywhere in the Caribbean with my friends, family, and dogs. I love my dogs and couldn't leave them behind. I would want to get up early and be active, either by going for a run along the beach or hiking. I would then want to have a large cup of tea with a side of fresh fruit, while looking at the ocean. I would want to spend the day on the beach with my loved ones. I would want to try new foods and enjoy seafood. This perfect day would be ended with a bonfire on the beach."

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "ANY country song. I love country music. I grew up in a small town on a farm and country music reminds me of my roots."

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "If I could splurge on one item, it would be a house on a lake. I don't care what state as long as I can live on the lake the rest of my life. I grew up living on a lake and wouldn't want it any other way. I love water skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming, and simply being near the water."

Deidra Weisser

Major: Health, Wellness and Fitness

Concentration: Health Promotions

School Year: Junior

Hometown: Cascade, WI

Number of years being a Peer: 1 year

Why You're Excited To Be A Peer: "Thee are a bunch of different kinds of minds this year that I think are going to complement each other very nicely. I think we have a bunch of really good ideas, and I am ready to put them into action and spread the knowledge to everyone on campus!"

What kind of impact do you want to have as being a Peer Health Educator to Stout students? "I want to be able to educate people here on campus on how to live a healthy well-rounded life. I think that college is the best time to learn this especially because we are so much more willing to try new things. Also, I think our generation is really starting to become interested in living an active, healthy lifestyle. I am here to help teach people how to do just that."

Describe what your "perfect" day looks like for you: "My perfect day would be to wake up in an eco-friendly house in the mountains of Colorado, make some sort of delicious breakfast. Pack up and go on a hike up a mountain with my friends and dog companion. Find a waterfall to cliff dive off of and swim around in the water below. Find a spot for lunch/dinner and a nice place to camp for the night. Set up a hammock tent, bonfire, and get some music playing so all of my friends and I can sing and dance around the fire and end the night under the stars."

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "What Am I Doing Here by Lake Street Drive. This song is so catchy and powerful; I can play this song over and over and never get sick of it!"

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "A dog for sure. No doubt about it!"

Zac Smith

Major: Graphic Design

School Year: Junior

Hometown: Gunnison, CO

Number of years being a Peer: 1 year

Why You're Excited To Be A Peer: "I am looking forward to working with the other peers this year on all of the events that will be held around campus! I am also going to be redesigning a lot of the poster for Peer Health and that is always fun to see your own work out in the world."

What kind of impact do you want to have as being a Peer Health Educator to Stout students? "I want to help students understand that the health center is a resource they can and should use. Anywhere from making sure we are as healthy as we can be to sexual encounters. We are here to help answer any questions students might have and create a safe and healthy environment at Stout.

Describe what your "perfect" day looks like for you: "My perfect day is heading up to Monarch ski resort by my hometown, strapping on my board, put some good tunes on, and snowboard until the ski lifts stop running. If I have friends or family with me, that's a bonus too!"

If you had to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?: "Country Girl by Luke Bran because I know every single word to this song. I grew up in a ranching town so I either had to love country music or move."

If you could splurge on one must-have item, what would it be?: "I really want a Wacom large HD touch pen display table so I can make more digital illustrations in Photoshop or Illustrator. I plan to get one of these some day."